The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

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Thursday, February 25, 2016

Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
"L'amore prima del mondo" ("Love before the world")
is the title of a book published by Rizzoli, in the form of 31
letters and drawings sent to the Holy Father by children from various
Jesuit institutions from all five continents, asking for advice and
explanations, and Francis' replies.

The title is drawn from the Pope's
answer to the question, "What did God do before the world was
made?". The eighty pages of the volume consist of a dialogue
between Francis and the Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaro, director of La
Civilta Cattolica, who took the children's letters and drawings the
Domus Sanctae Marthae last summer and to ask for a response. The Pope
accepted the proposal and the resulting book has been released in
Italian bookshops today. It will shortly be available in other
languages.

Francis answers questions on a wide
variety of issues, such as how Jesus managed to walk on water: "God
doesn't sink", and why He created us if He knew we were going to
sin against Him: Because God created us like Him. Free. And being
free includes the possibility of sinning. … Freedom can be
frightening because it cannot be planned. But it is beautiful and it
is the greatest gift". In response to questions from the
youngest children regarding the devil and guardian angels, the Pope
recalls the importance of liturgy of prayer, or evokes the fantastic
imagination of the young: "God defeated the devil on the cross.
The devil is like the big scary dragons who are defeated and killed.
They have a very long tail which, even if they are beaten and killed,
continues to move".

There are also questions regarding war
and atrocities; for instance, a child from Nigeria asks how these
conflicts could be resolved. "It is necessary to encourage
people of good will to speak against war. I cannot solve the
conflicts in the world, but you and I can try to make this a better
world. We need to convince everyone that the best way to win a war is
not to enter into one. It is not easy, I know. But I try. You can try
too".

A child from China wants to know why
the Pope likes football. "I have never learned well the
techniques of the game", admits Francis. "I don't have
agile feet. But I like to see the team on the field because it is a
game of solidarity". In response to a boy from the United
Kingdom asks, "What was your hardest choice in your mission for
faith?", the Holy Father replies, "There are many hard
choices, but I have to say that the type of decision that is most
difficult for me is to remove someone from a responsible job or a
position of trust, or a path they are following, for reasons of
unsuitability".

Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
On Monday, 29 February, the Holy Father Francis will meet with His
Holiness Abuna Mathias, Patriarch of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church of
Ethiopia, who will be present in Rome from Friday 26 to Monday 29.
During his stay the Patriarch will visit the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity and the tomb of the apostle Peter, and will
celebrate Holy Mass with the Ethiopian community of Rome on Sunday 28
February in the chapel of the Urbanian College.

The Orthodox Tewahedo Church of
Ethiopia currently consists of 35 million faithful, and a large
community exists in Rome. It enjoys cordial and increasingly close
relations with the Catholic Church, especially following the first
visit in 1993 of the then-Patriarch Abuna Paulos to Pope John Paul
II.

Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
The international conference "The religious and migrations in
the 21st century: perspectives, response and challenges",
organised by the representation before the United Nations of the
Passionists International, the Congregation of St. Joseph,
Augustinians International and the Vincentians, yesterday concluded
two days of intense work.

The aim of the meeting, attended by
around a hundred men and women religious, as well as laypersons and
experts in the sector, was to understand more fully the phenomenon of
migration and its repercussions in today's world, especially in the
context of the current European situation. It also considered the
identification of more effective and shared forms of solidarity. A
strong appeal was launched for intensified network-building among
congregations, associations and other organisations in countries of
origin, transit and destination. The network represents one of the
most efficient ways of using energy, skills and resources, to give
greater impetus to the already extraordinary work that these entities
carry out. In Italy alone, some 23 million people (almost a quarter
of the refugees present in the country) are received by parishes,
religious communities, monasteries and sanctuaries.

The participants expressed major
concerns regarding the large number of often unaccompanied minors
involved in migratory flows, as well as the many young women,
especially from Nigeria (more than four thousand in 2015) who risk
falling into the trap of exploitation and prostitution.

Fr. Emela Xris Obiezu, representative
of Augustinians International before the United Nations, emphasised
that "In this complex world, and faced with the challenge of
migration, it is increasingly necessary to think globally and act
locally, also in terms of lobbying and advocacy, to take the voice of
the victims and those who work alongside them to every level of
attention, from local administrations to the United Nations, so as to
influence working decisions, always placing at the centre of
attention the person and respect for his or her freedom and dignity".

Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
From Tuesday 1 March 2016, the Vatican Information Service newsletter
will not be transmitted, but subscribers will instead receive a link
via which they may consult the web page including a synthesis in
English of the official Holy See Press Office Bulletin, the summary
hitherto provided by the Vatican Information Service.